Whiskeytown NRA Announces Brandy Creek Falls will Remain Closed this Year

Hopes were high following the reopening of Brandy Creek beach last week following a 10-month closure due to the Carr Fire. But biggest question remained – Will we be able to hike to the waterfalls of Whiskeytown this summer?

Unfortunately, no.

Well, at least that’s the answer for Brandy Creek Falls, which Whiskeytown National Recreation officials have deemed the trail too dangerous for foot traffic.

“Brandy Creek Falls will not be accessible this year by road or by trail due to the hazards which still exist from both the fire and the winter,” said Whiskeytown NRA on social media. “For your safety, and that of rescue personnel and first responders, stay out of closed areas.”

Here are the remaining hazards that remain following the Carr Fire:

* Four culverts along the road have been compromised, making them unsafe to drive over.
* Dozens of trees remain down across both the road and the trail, with many more likely to fall during the year.
* Hand rails along rocky sections of the trail have been damaged or completely removed by rocks and trees during the rain events of the winter.
* Portions of the trail have been lost to erosion, landslides, and areas where the creek now flows.
* Both bridges at the end of the trail (which survived the Carr Fire) have been completely washed away.

It’s a shame that we can’t enjoy the beautiful Brandy Creek Falls this summer and hopefully we hear some better news on the other three waterfalls of Whiskeytown soon.

Hopefully the sunny weather will allow construction crews to repair more of the damage to the Brandy Creek Falls Trail so we can enjoy it next year. For now, we continue to rebuild from the Carr Fire.